


don't have regrets

by lonelylovelylethal



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, F/M, Friendship, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, i know they're not canon but i love them okay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-04
Updated: 2016-12-04
Packaged: 2018-09-06 08:38:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8742967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lonelylovelylethal/pseuds/lonelylovelylethal
Summary: "Final moments are just as important as the moments leading up to them."





	

Susan hastily walks into the huge flower shop. Her whole body is still tired from the Auror training sessions two hours ago, but planning a memorial service for your friend’s mother is undoubtedly more important. Especially since that friend is on the edge of losing it—which he never shows, oddly.

“Good, you’re here.” Blaise looks relieved. “Thanks for coming.”

She musters a slight smile. “No problem.”

Bouquets, casket and standing sprays, wreaths are neatly stacked in each section. Susan has seen her share of flowers, but this is probably the most diverse, crowded flower shop she has ever entered. Of course Blaise Zabini only wants the best.

“Flower arrangements for the service?”

“I thought of pink orchids, since they’re her favorite.” he points at the upper shelf in front of him. There are lines of orchids, some look so exuberantly pink that she squints her eyes.

“But they look a bit too cheerful, so maybe..” now he walks to the other shelf across the room, in which red and white roses decorate the otherwise solemn wall. “Roses. Timeless, I guess.”

Susan nods. “Hm. Classic deep red rose evokes love and grief. But I think lilies are more common in.. funerals.”

Blaise mindlessly strokes his clean-shaven chin. “Good thinking.”

She can’t help noticing his composed demeanor. Yes, he’s always like that, but this is _his mother_ —the only person Blaise has had in his 23-years of life. In that standard, he’s a little too put-together.

“What? What’re you thinking now?” he suddenly turns to her, looking annoyed, and she realizes she’s spent a whole minute staring at him.

Susan takes a deep breath. After two years of friendship, now it’s her turn of being honest. “That you have more important things than planning a memorial service.. for your still-alive mother.”

This can turn badly—more likely _will_ , judging from how hardened his jaw is now.

“But all this still needs to be done.” Blaise frowns, while gesturing at the flowers surrounding them. “The Healers said it’s a matter of days. We have so little time as it is.”

“You worked hard searching for the cure for four months.” she carefully steps closer. “And you failed, unfortunately. Are you ignoring her too now?”

His mouth falls open without a sound, clearly unable to answer her right away. The following silence is almost maddening, but Susan decides to wait.

“I don’t know what to say to her.” Blaise finally speaks, and this is the first time he looks heartbroken ever since he told her of his mother’s illness half a year ago.

“You don’t have to say anything.” she assures him. “You just need to be there, by her side.”

“I promised her a cure.” he looks so shameful. “I never broke a promise to her, Bones. But I just did, in her final moments. I can’t.. I can’t see her now, not like this.”

Susan licks her lips, suddenly reminded of a certain painful death a long time ago. “May I tell you something?”

He shrugs.

“When my aunt Amelia died..” the name tastes bitter on her tongue, and she notices his brief startled look. They never talked of her aunt’s death before. Susan reconsiders again, worrying if she’d only add unnecessary baggage on him.

But Blaise’s expectant grey eyes invite her to continue.

“I was on holiday with Hannah, Justin, and Ernie. A week in New York. She was against it at first, but I pleaded. We weren’t on good terms that year—can’t even remember why. So when I got the news from her assistant that very same day, I broke down, crying like crazy. I did say goodbye before using the Floo, but.. it wasn’t enough.”

 _Don’t_. She stops herself from saying too much. The grief, the despair erupting inside her stomach _can’t_ come back—there were too many months wasted on trying to make them disappear.

“You couldn’t have known.” he says quietly, gazing at her deeply. “No one could.”

“That’s my point.” she offers him a warm smile. _This is about him, after all, not me._ “Don’t have regrets. She needs your presence now. Final moments are just as important as the moments leading up to them.”

Blaise slowly returns the smile, though his eyes are still clouded with sorrow.

He can get through this, just like she did, maybe even better—that much she knows.

**Author's Note:**

> this is loosely based from a particular stefan/caroline scene in tvd s06


End file.
